Rad Geek People's Daily

(I owe the first link to my friend Mark; the second link to Tom Tomorrow)

So it turns out that Congress doesn’t think that restitution through the civil courts is adequate to deal with malicious attacks on computer systems. Indeed, it wasn’t even harsh enough yet when the USA PATRIOT act classifies hacking, viruses, and other malicious computer damage as terrorist acts subject to its draconian measures. So, to remedy this dreadful situation, they’ve decided to put together the Cyber Security Enhancement Act (CSEA), under which police state powers would be greatly increased in computer crimes, and hackers could be thrown in a federal prison until they die.

Unless, of course, you’re a multibillion dollar entertainment corporation. You see, another bill being considered in Congress which would give recording companies and their representatives legal impunity to hack computers if they have a reasonable basis to believe that piracy is taking place, and to use malicious code to trash a publicly accessible peer-to-peer network on which piracy is occurring.

Oh, but don’t worry: if they wrongly destroy your computer… well, they won’t end up in prison for life. But you can sue them! That is, if the damages were over $250. And if the U.S. Attorney General grants you permission to file the lawsuit.

The hypocrisy and slavish appeasement of economic power is hovering somewhere between merely revolting, and physically nauseating.

Take action!

• Write your Congress-critters urging them to reject Rep. Berman’s proposal, and pointing out the hypocrisy of giving big corporations a blank check on a crime which could send anyone else to prison for life [EFF].